Forlong - Rivers of Life

430
Rivers of Life, or Faiths of Man in all Lands.
tian Bible histories are being ruthlessly pulled to pieces, and great portions called by
some bold investigators little more than “the baseless fabric of a vision,” entitled to
no more belief than what may be readily accorded to the stories of Krishna and the
Indian Epics.
It will now be profitable to glance through the leading festivals of the year in
their order, beginning with. January, which closes the Winter Solstice fetes that
commenced with the birth of Mithras.
JANUARY.—The Kalends of January at Rome were particularly sacred to Janus
and Juno, to whom all had then to make their vows and offer sacrifices. This Kalend,
(called Neomhnia, Neomenia, because held on the first new moon of January) was considered
a most auspicious time on which to commcnce any new work or project. In
India it is therefore sacred to Ganesha, the elephant-god, a deity equally phallic with
Janus. 1 As the birth of the king of the year is the great opening event of the year, I
must here include in my remarks his December, or Christmas festivals. The early
Chriasians undoubtedly selected this Roman Saturnalia as an important period in the
life of Christ, at first calling it the time of his conception, and later of his birth,
this last best suiting the views and feelings of their Solo-Christian flocks. The Jews
called the day of the Winter Solstice The Fast of Tebet. The previous time was one
of darkness, and on the 28th began their “Feast of Lights.” The Romans consecrated
the 24th (the Juvenalia) to all the vigour of nature; and after the birth of Mithras,
they at once began the worship of all the god-like Powers of Generation, for Rome
then felt the leaden weight of winter heavy on her; and, to remove it, preyed to,
and feted Saturn, Ops, Hercules, and Venus, as well as the Lares and Penates.
WINTER FETES.—From Bede we learn that “the Pagans of these isles began
their year on the 8th of the Kalends of January, which is now our Christmas Day.
The night before that (24 Dec. eve) was called by them the Medre-Nak or Night of
Mothers, because of the ceremonies which were performed on that night.” 2 It is
then the days perceptibly lengthen. Both December and January were called Guile
or Yule, on account of this being the time of the return of the sun, so that we may
probably connect this word with Iol, Ol, iul, ale, giul, chweol, wheel, wiel, and suchlike,
all signifying a circle or round of time, for the day of Yule Log is mid-winter.
Great ingenuity has been here brought to bear, and the result seems to be that “wheel”
is meant. Iul-ion in Arabic means revolution of first day of the year.
The ceremonies of the season everywhere call to mind Tree, Fire, and
Phallic lore. On Christmas Eve it was customary to light candles of an extraordinary
size, lay a huge Yule clog, or Christmas block on the fire, and so usher
in Christmas Morn, and turn the dark night into the long looked-for day. Pro-
bably at first this great Phallic Log, round which we so often see the Serpent entwined,
was meant to betoken increasing heat and light. The Pagan Saxons kept
twelve days very holy at this time, daily sacrificing to the Sun; and Christians kept
to the same period, calling Christmas the birthday of “the god who is light,” “the true
1 See my Plate XV. 5, where he appears as a Phallus with the Serpent.
2 Brand’s Ants., p. 156.